Machine for handling fish.



S. COOPER.

MACHINE FOR HANULING FISH. APPL'lcATloN FILED' SEPT. so. 191s.

1,267,8-30.4 Patented Mayesywls.

S. COOPER.

. MACHINE FOR HANDLING FISH. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30.1915.

1,267,850. l Patented May 28,1918.

WVU/leon 3 oz .M @13 @Hc-Mieli' S. COOPER. MACHINE For: HANDLINGHSH..

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 19H7'. 4

1 ,267,850, Y Patented May 28,1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.-

s.cooPER. MACHINE FOR HANDLING FISH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30. |915.

Patented May 28,1918..

' 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

wifi new u v 5m) To?, @/ay/ Hom/w13 n S. COOPER.

MACHINE FOR HANDLING FSH. u

APPLlCA'TlON FiLED SEPT. 30, I 9I5. 1,267,850 www May 28,1918.

SHEETS-SHEET 5.

S. COOPER.

MACHINE FOR HANDLING FlSH.

APPucAUoN rlLEn SEPT. so. 1915g l Patented May 28, '9l8.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

STATES 01m[C141l SIION COOPER.,` 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 GORTN-PEW COHPANY,

- 0I GI- OUCESm MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MINE.

nomma ron Emme' msn This invention relates broadly to apparatus for treating fish or the like, the present embodiment disclosing a machine which. serves thus to treat a sh by cutting. its throat, slitting its belly and removing its entrails and gills, all by automatic means.

In the drawings, which show an embodiment of the invention asv at present pre. ferred, and wherein like characters of reference refer to like parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the completeembodiment; Fig. 2 is a plan view of same; Fig. 3 is a detail plan o 4 is the same as Fig. 3 looking in direction of :A-A; Fig. 5 is anend view of a lfishholding bucket and a throat-slitting mechanism; Fig. 6 is a side, view of the parts shown in Fig. 5 looking in direction of A-A; Fig. 7 is a detail side view of the gill remover; Fig.- 8 is the same as Fig. 7 with`the arts in hother positions; Fig. 9 is a detail vview of a hook associated with the gill remover; Fig. 10 is a de- .tail side view of a belly-slitting mechanism'; Fig. 11 is a detail side view of an entrail-brushing mechanism; Fig. 12 is a detail view of a plow; Fig. 13 isan end view of a ishsupporting-trough and showing two chain-carried gripper-carriages, looking from the left' of Fig. 1 `and with one of two tracks for said gripper-carriages in section; Fig. ,14 is a detail ofstlilne of saidl ipper-ca'rriage s eonveyer or -gri ping iigers shown in' Fig.- 13 disclosed ih anopened position; F-ig.- 15 isa detail of one ofv the twolish-alining angle-pieces shown. in Fig. 13; and, 16 isa view of a belly-l slitting saw, the {ish-guiding troligh and a -ish rumably traveling longitu inally of "the atter, looking from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 17 risa sundering the gills from the entralls and -removing them from the tmughf To aid -anintelligent followin structural 'dsc'ription ofthis em iment of the invention, which will, vof course,

85 precede a description of operatiom'certain Speeilcatlon of Letten Patent.

parts operating a gill remover; Fig.

detailed view/ of -the blade for.

Patented May 2s', 191s.

Application iled September 30, 1915. Serial No. 53,288. l

functional contemplations should ybe made clear. Note, then, .that thereare three shafts eX- tending lengthwise of the machine. There 'is shaft 4. the driving shaft. which is driven from pulleys 4'; and which terminates toward the left end of Fig. 2 at a convenient point not illustrated. A very short shaft 39 (Fig. 2) is located above shaft 4. `The lougest of the said three lengthwise shafts vis shaft 58 (Figs. 1 and 2) that extends from' end to end of theA machine. All three of these shafts are arranged one above the other (Fig. 1). For lpurposes of clarity, shaft l39 is permitted to be hidden -by parts between it andthe observer, of Fig. 1.

Shafts 4 and 58 are coupled by gear 1 09 and pinion 114.- (Figs. 1 and 2). Shafts 4 and 39 are coupled by gear 40 on shaft 39 (Fig. 2) and asimilar gear, unillustrated, but carried by shaft 4.

The uppermost shaft, or'shaft 39, causes, Y

through a transverse shaft 43, the continuous revolution of only the revoluble fishi' treating clement 47 of the ve such elements,

47, 85, 108, 108 and 108 (Fig. 1) the element 47 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6) being the only one which is arrangedtransveiisely pf the machine and being that one which slits the throat of each fish as a first treatment after said fish is fed into the machine. This transversely working element 47 and all of its supporting and driving parts, ineludin'g the said shaft 43. are carried by a swing arm 41 (Figs. 2, 6, 7 and 8) that 1s at suitable -intervals raised and lowered without interfering with the working of miter gears 42 (Fig. 2).

These up and down movements of saw 4 7, which properly time '.-actuatious of certain fish-:dining and clamping devices (Fi 5 to 8, inclusive) located in the vicinity o; said saw, are initiated hy certain cams (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) mounted on the loweriuost shaft 58.

In addition, this sliaftv58 not only drives longitudinal chains. 72, but also lateral chains 36, the

former continiiously by wayof bcveled gears' 68 (Fig. 2) and the lattergnter- 'mitten'tly y way of an eccentric 32 and a connecting rod 33, qoupling sprocket shaft 26 and said shaft 58 Thel driving shaft .4, through the separate gear chains shown in Fig. 2, continuously revolves the belly-.slittingsaw 85 and'each of -the' 'enh'ail-wiping sweeps or brushes 108; and 'each of these` mentioned re volving elements is also vpredeterminiedly In the resent instance the feedjngfin attendant p ces a fish in each of the intennitf' tently moving buckets 30 (Fig. 2) so that a iish 1s tra rted by this receiving bucket as indicated y the arrowV A shown in lig. 2.

At the proper time the chains 36 and said buckets are halted so that a fish carried by one of said buckets lies under saw 47. When the throat vof said fish is slit by saw 47 (Fig. 1), the fish body is transferred `from said bucket onto said trough, as hereinafter and in this preamble described.

When, after said bucket has gone on and been a in predeterminedly halted beneath the r 18 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) and the hook 59 has descended into the fishs throat-slit and then has ascended therefrom to leave the severed gill remaining in said bucket, the bucket has received another forward impulse and been predeterminedly halted in line with the trough-plates 81 (Fig. 2). Thereafter, and until exit from the machine as indicated by the arrow B, shown in Fi 1, said fish is continuously slid alon the shaped troughestablished by the mclined trough-plates 81 (Figs. 2 and 13), as the result of being predeterminedly engaged by a pair of linger-grippers 74 (Fig. 14) and by the subsequent actuation of the latter removed from said bucket and onto said treillih d 'i 7o (F' 1 e space per carria 1 13 and 14), ealilrdf which caisies a a' of said grippers, are pivotally mounte upon and thus continuously move with chains 72. When the particular grip er-carriage'now being considered has trave ed in the direci 'tion of the arrow 'C of Fig. 13 beyond the narrowed throat portion of cam tracks.78

' (Figs. 13 and 1), retractile spring 77 (Fig.

14) is permitted to destroy the abnormal set of linger grippers 74 (Fig. 14) and restore said linger ippers to their normal or shengaging disposition (Fig. 13).- Until the cam-tracks 79 located at the right .end of Fig.' 2 are engaged by rollers 76 (Fig. 14), the gripper-carriage 70 last mentioned slides its gripped fish tall first along the V-shaped trough aforesaid rightwardly of Figs. 1 and 2; thereby in succession, subjectin said fish to the various continuously revo ving andintermittently and properly depressed bellyslittingl saw 85 and entrailbrushing sweeps 108; in the case of each of said swee s 108 y a separate ixedly-located plow 103 (Flg. 12)

entering the belly-slitcre'ated by saw 85 and flaring open said slit to aid the functioning of l(he adjacent sweep. As said grippercarriage reaches the exit end of the ma- Referring to'Figs. 1 and 2 the parallel l side frames 1 and 2 are rigidly 'mounted on standards 3. Brackets 5 are fastened to frame 2 and carry in them main shaft 4 on the free end of which are mounted tight and loose driving pulleys.

As shown at the left in Fig. 2, and in 3 and 4, to an end of shaft 58 is fastened a track-cam 6; and e latter is a lever 7 attached to a rock-shaft 8 held in suitable bearin 9 at the ends of frames 1 and 2. Rock-s aft 8 carries a lever 10 to the free end of which lever is loosely bolted a link 11, which link is connected to a horizontal slide 12. A bracket 13 fastened to side frame 1 has ways in it to accommodate horizontal slide 12, and fastened at right angles to slide 12 is guide piece 14 formed toaccommodate a vertical slide 15. Slide 15 has its top formed into a table 16, and a clamp 19 serves te hold .adjustable rods 17 and 18. V Still referring primarily to Fi 3 and 4, a lever 20 pivoted in the end o a bracket 21 which is fastened to frame 2 has its inner end bifurcated, the bifurcation being spanned by a'rod 22. A boss (Fig. 4) on slide 15 has. a slotted hole to accommodate rod 22. At the outer end of lever 20 is a roller stud 23 engaging with a cam 24 fastened to a shaft 58; and a retractile spring 25 tends to maintain said roller in contact with the cam (Fig. 4).

As best vshown in Fig. 2, a pair of brackets 31 extending from frame 2 have mounted in them a short shaft4 26 to which isfastened the sprockets 27. Another short shaft 29 paral el to and oppositely of shaft 26 and supported Vat a convenient point carries 'g with the sprockets 28. Connecting these foursprocklever 34 supported on a'shaft 26 is connected v to rod 33 and said levers free lend carries a .pawl which engages with a ratchet wheel 35. 'As ratchet wheel 35 is fastened to shaft 26, each revolution of shaft 58 will cause shaft 26, sprockets 27 and chains 36 to advance the buckets 30 the distance separating one bucket from another.

tao

Referring primarily to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, I

each bucket 30 is' riveted through its bottom 1,2easso to a reinforcing piece 30 which is fastened to the two chains 36. The opposite sides of each bucket 30 diverge so as to conform somewhat to the shape of the fish (Fig. 6),

and near the middle portion 4of each side a mounted on the shaft 39, and on one extreme end of said shaft is fastened a miter pinion 42 which meshes with a similar pinion fastened to a shaft 43 mounted in suitable bores in swing arm 41. The opposite eXtreme end of shaft 43 carries a miter gear 44 which engages with a similar gear 45 (gear 45 being shown in Fig. 5), fastened to a spindle 46 mounted in the free end of swing arm 41 and said s indle carries a circular throat-slitting saw 4 The swing arm 41 has an extension 48 (Fig. 2) which rides upon a suitably shaped cam 49 (Fig. 2) fastened to shaft 58, to predetermine that once in each revolution of said shaft the swing arm will carry the saw 47 partly into one of the slots 37 shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fastened to the swing arm 41 by means lof an adjustable rod 56 is av yoke 50 (Figs. 1 and 5). This yoke carries a double rod plunger 51 (see particularly Fig. 1 for the double-rod feature) which is movable in a vertical direction within the yoke and is maintained in its lowest position by means of a compression sprin 52 (Fig. 5) and is adjustable bymeans of a suitablelock-nut 51 as shown in Fig. 5. The lower portion of the plunger 51 is formed into a heel 53 (Fig. 5). Another plunger 54 is similarly mounted in the yoke but on the opposite side of the saw 47 and its lower portion is formed into a bent finger 55 (Fig. 5).

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the plungers 51 and 54 are in line with one of the buckets 30. In line with the preceding bucket is a plunger 110 (Figs. 7 and 8) held in a rod 111 adjustably carried by swing arm 41. The lower portion of this j plunger 110 is formed into a heel-piece 110 (Figs.A 7 and 8), a compression spring 112 serving to force the heel of the plunger 110 against the body of a fish in the bucket.

The rod 18, in line with plunger 110 (compare Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and 7) carries at its free end a blade 59 (see Fig. 9), and a rod 17 is similarly equipped with a bent blade 60 (see Fig. 17). 'It will be noted by referring to Fig. 2 that the rod 18 with its blade centers in one of the buckets 30 while the rod 17 with its respective blade coincides with the center of the preceding bucket.' lThe oppositely facing but similar grooved tracks 61 and 62 (the former shown also in Fig. 4)

Acarried by frames 1 and 2 laterally of thc machine serve to support the buckets by engaging with the ends of the reinforcing piece 30 which is, as was described in connection with Fig. 5, a part of each bucket.

Referring to Figs. l, 2- and113, a shaft 63 mounted between frames 1 and 2 supports two sprockets 64 and another shaft 65 (shown only in Figs. 1 and 2) mounted at the other end -of frames 1 and 2 and at the exit end of the machine has fastenedto it similar sprockets 66. The shaft 65 extends beyond frame 2 suiiicientl to carrya beveled pinion 67 (Fig. 2) whlch meshes with a beveled gear 68 fast on shaft 58 (Fig. 2). A spur gear 109 carried on shaft 58 (Fig. 2) meshes with a pinion 114 (Fig. 2) fastened to shaft 4 (Fig. 1). An endless sprocket chain 69 is laid around each pair of sprockets 64 and 65 and these chains support between them at fixed distance from each other gripper-carriages 70 (Figs. 1, 13 and 14).

Referring particularly to Figs. 13 and 14, each gripper-carriage 7 0, has a pair of flanged wheels 71 at each end which travel in the tracks 72, the said tracks being curved to coincide with the travel of chains 69 around the sprockets 64 and 65 (as shown only in Fig. 1). -A weighted idler 113 moving in a slotted bracket 73, one bracket being fastened to each side frame (see the lower center portion'of Fig. 1), is designed Vto keep chains 69 taut. Pivoted between the two chassis-rods (Figs. 13 and 1) of gripper-carriage 70 are a pair of gripper-fingers 74 (Figs. 13 and 14). Each gripper-finger has at its upper end a series of pins 75 while its lower endcarries a roller 76 (Figs. 13 and 14). A retractile I spring 77 serves normally to pull the upper ends of each finger 74 toward its mate (Figs. 13 and 14).

A pair of cam tracks 78 (Figs. 1 and 13) fastened to the side frames at a point in proper relation to the location of sprockets 64serve, by engagingthe rollers 76, to force the pin ends of the fingers 74 away from each other, and as the carriage moves around the said sprocket the rollers ride ofi' these cam tracks thus allowing the pin ends of the fingers to close on each other by means of the spring 77 to pierce and engage with a fish lying in .the bucket additionally marked B in Fig. 2. This closed fish-engaging position of the pin fingers prevails for the travel of the gripper-carriage from the sprockets 64 to the sprockets 65 (Figs. 1 and 2), where another pair of cam tracks 79 (Fi fingers g4 to withdraw from each other and release said fish. f

-'Brackets 80 (Figs. 1 and 2) extending inwardly from each side frame support trough plates 81 (Figs. 2 and 13). These trough plates are inclinedlto each -other so that the bottom edges are spaced just sufficiently to Aet permit the narrowed portions of the gripper fingers 74 to travel between them. At the forward end of the trough composed of plates 81 are placed a air of conical guide rollers 82 (Figs. 2 and) 10 ried by a bridge 83 exten 'ng' between the two side frames. Immediately back of these conical rollers and resting in a slidable position on the trough plates 81 are ides or angle-pieces 84 (Figs, 10, 13, 15 and 16). Each angle piece has a pair of slotted holes through whlch screws loosely hold it in position to its respective trough plate 81 '(Fig. 15), the forward end of each guide piece being slightly flared (Figs. 13 and 15).

A slitting saw 85 carried ona spindle 8 6 (Figs. 1, 2 and 10) is positioned to move down between the guide pieces 84 (Figs. 10 and 13) and is carried by means of lever arms 87 and 88 (Figs. 1, 2 and 10) each of which has a pivot stud 89 fastened to it (Figs. 2'and 10). As shown in Fig. 2, one

lend of the saw spindle has fastened to it a pinion 90 meshlng with an idler pinion 91 carried by a stud fastened to arm 88; and on'the plvot stud 89 is loosely mounted a gear 92 to which is fastened a'miter gear 93 meshing with a similar gear 94 on shaft 4. Each of the lever arms 87 and 88 has an extension carrying a bolt 94 (Fig. 10) which slides in a segment slot of a standard 95 on each of side frames 1 and 2 (Figs. 2 and 10)..v A lever. 96 fastened to one' of studs 89 (Figs. 2 and 10) carries a roller which is in the path of a cam plate 97 (Figs. 1 and 10) carrled on each of the grippercarriages 70.

Lever arms 87 and 88 (Figs. 1 and 2) extend sufficiently below the side frames 1 and 2 to be connected therebelow b a brace rod 98 (shown only in Fig. 1 andy thereby merely in side elevation) which serves to lock the two lever arms rigidly in relation to each other. Brace rod 98 is encompassed by a slottted stop-piece 99 (Fig. l) which is pivotally carried b y an adjusting eye-bolt 100 supported by a suitable bracket 101 fastened between the side frames 1 and 2.

-A retractile spring 102 (Fig. 1) tends to keep the saw 85 depressed, to its lowest position, the slot the stop-piece 99 serving as alimit to the downward or normalset of saw 85.

' a plow 103 (Figs. 2, 11

A series of partsI similar to spindle 86, lever arms 87 and.88,l stop-piece 99 and gears 90 and 94 are utilized to su port circular brushes 108. The only di erence in these last mentioned lever arms from those o f the saw spindle 86 being the omission which are carincasso `closely adjacent the tooth edge of the saw 85 (Fig. 10). Only the foremost plow is provided-with the nose 107 of Fig. 12, but each plow is enlarged so that its main section conforms roughly yto the angle madeby the trough-plates 81 yet leaving space between it and the said plates. The foremost plow extends back sufficiently to blanket a portion of the foremost brush, 108, and each of the other Vplows similarly blankets another one ofsaid brushes.

The above structural description completed, attention is directed to the following description of o eration, much more l detailed than that pre iminary one hereinbefore sed forth in the preamble. I Y Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, power is applied td the main shaft 4 through the tight pulley on the end of said shaft, and thus causes the continuous rotation of the saws 47 and 85 and circular brushes 108, and the continuous travel of chains 69 with gripper-carriage 70, through the gearingl and connections mentioned before. As the buckets 30 are forced to move forward one spacing) per revolution of shaft 58, it results that a ucket will be located in line with the trough 81 at a time when one of the gripper carriages 70 is assing around `the sprockets 64 and into said trough. l

An attendant places one fish in each of the buckets 30 before said buckets reach the circularl saw 47, the tail of the fish pointing to the discharge end of the machine, so thatv the portion of the neck to be cut through is in line with the Vparticular slot 37 in which the lsaw 47 will descend as indicated in Fi s. 5 and 7. The eccentric 32 causes a loadebucket to come to a momentary rest under the saw 47, when the finger 55 contact with the fish and hold it firmly while the saw continues to descend and saws through the flesh portion of theA The further motion of cam 49 causes the saw vand plungers to ascend, whereupon the bucket chains .36 are given another impulse a'nd the bucket containing the -fish with the cut neck stops under the rod 18. The cam 6, acting through rocker arm 8 and link 11, have caused thecross head .16 to bring the rods 17 and 18 to their `inner t*plosition so that i the blade 59 coincides with e same Aslot in whichv the saw 47 has acted; and as' the have bucket is-brought to rest said cross head is caused to descend by reason of lever 2() and cam 24. Plate 59 then enters into the slit made by the saw in the neck of the fish. As the swing arm 4l has descended coincidently with the downward motion of cross head 16, the heel 'of lunger 110 carried on said arm is contacted) with the body of the fish, a compression spring 112 acting upon said plunger'so thai-l the heel piece can exert some pressure on' ythe fish body and yet yirlld to prevent damaging the flesh of the When the blade59 is down to its lowest position in the neck of the sh, cam 6, acting upon rockershaftS and link 11, causes the cross head 16 to travel away from the lish,

thus withdrawing the hook 59 through the jaws of the fish. As this hook is of a form, shown in Fig. 9, to grasp or engage the gills in the head of the fish, these gills by the withdrawing action of the blade 59 are tornV free so that they rest on the bottom of the bucket 30. Acting in the same bucket is the flexible member 113 fastened to the lower side of swing arm 41, and this member on the downward action ofsaid swing arm 4l, presses the tail of the sh against the lower side 114 of the bucket so as to be in position to receive the. pin lingers 74 when the bucket reaches its next station (Figs. 2, 5 and 8). At the completion of the withdrawing stroke of the hook 59, the cross head 16 and arm 41 ascend as shown in dotted position in Fig. 8, and the bucket is given another impulse forward. This motion brings the bucket in line with the trough 81,

It will be noted that the portion of the bottom of the bucket where the sh tail 'rests is cut away almost to a point and that the sides of the bucket are cut away; 'the purpose of which is to permit the approaching pin ends of the fingers 74 to yclose in on the tail of the ish with the least motion. As the carriage which is rounding the sprockets 63 at the moment that the pins 75 passed the cut-away portion in the sides of the bucket, the fingers 74are forced together by the combination of the spring 77, rollers 76 and cam plates 78, thus permitting the pins'to pierce the tail portion of the fish and draw it into the trough 81. Just before the pin fingers engage with the iish the cross head 16 has caused rod 17 with its blade 60 to inch the gill lying in the bucket against t e bottom so thaty as the fish is drawn into the trough the gill will be sundered from the l'entrails and the withdrawing action of the cross head 16 Vwill tumble the out of the hind end of the bucket.

As the pin fingers on a gripper-carriage 7 O draw a fish into the trou h 81, the body portion of the sh is acte upon by the conical rollers 82 to line up said ish so angle-pieces 84 will tend to maintain the iish in such position while the slitting saw 85 is cutting through the belly. To prevent contact of the saw -85 with the pin fingers 74v and also to prevent cutting through the tail portion of the fish, which should preferably be left intact, the 'cam-plate 97 on the gripper-carriage 7 0 forces up the saws lever 96' and its arms 87 and 88 and thus keeps said saw out'of contact with the fish until the pin lingers 74 and the tail portion of the fish are safely past. Then the saw 85descends to its normal position, the spring 102 facilitating this and the brace 98 bringing up against the end in the slot in stop-piece 99. In Fig. 1 the saw 85 has completed its descent; and the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 10 is its highest or abnormal position.

As the ish is passing saw 85, the foremost plow 103 enters the belly cut and forces the sh and the rotary motion of the brush forces out all the entrails. To insure complete cleansing one or more extra brushes, controlled and operated in the same manner -as the rst one, may be employed; and in some instances water may also be used insuiicient quantities to aid in a thorough cleaning.

As the gripper-carriage 7 0 starts A.to travel around the sprockets 65, cam tracks 7 9 (Fig. 2) at the exit end of the machine force the pin ends of iingers 74 apart, and thus release the fish to drop into a suitable receptacle. v

To permit of adjustment Jfor dii'erent sized fish, the series of slots 37 in each bucket will accommodate the neck saw 47 at dii'erent positions, while the tails of the different sized fish are in the same relative position to the eut-away portion of the bucket. The rods 17, 18, 56 and 11, carrying the various above-described plungers and blades, can be adjusted to coincide with the position of the saw 47.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a new and valuable machine for treating a fish by cutting its throat, removing its gills, slitting its belly and cleaning out its entrails, automatically transporting the fish and subjecting it to means to attain these results, in the presence of important cooperant auxiliaries whereby' the ish is not at all damaged and is'certam to be properly treated prior to exit from the machine.

Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of ing neck cutting means,

my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the alcovel description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is in'- tended to cover all the generic and specific features ofl the invention herein described and all statementsl of the scope of the in. vention which, as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

vI claim: i

1. 'In an apparatus of the class described, a machine including a neck cutting and gill removing mechanism in combination with a belly slitting and entrail removing means.

In an apparatus' of the class described, a machine including an initially operating neck cutting and gill removing mechanism, in combination with a subsequently operating belly slitting and entrail removing means.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a machine including atransversely operatand a gill removing means in combination with a longitudinally belly slitting and entrail removing means.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, agiish-tre'ating machine including neck-cutting and gill-removing mechanism, means for feeding a fish laterally of the machine, and means for thereafter automatically feeding the fish longitudinally of the machine.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination,- ash treating machineincluding means for feeding the ish through buckets transversely of the machine in a neck cutting and cated in one path slitting and entrail in the other.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, in combination, a fish treating machine lincluding means for feeding the fish laterally and then longitudinally through the machine, a neck cutting and gill removing means located in one path of movement of the feeding means and a belly slitting and entrail removing means located in the other.

7 In a machine for cleaning fish, 4in combination, a neck-cutting saw, a series of receptacles or buckets each provided Awith a plurality of saw slots for conveying .the deposit therein of Lfish and supported land guided for travel at right angles to the cutting plane of the saw, the saw relative to thejslots in the receptacles or buckets and means for removingsaid the working zone of plurality of directions, a gill removing means loof direction and a belly removing means located the saw. A

8. In a machine for cleaning fish, in comblnation, aneck-cuttmg saw, a series of remeans for' adjusting means. for disconnecting said gill lceptacles or bucketsv for conveying the deposit therein of fish and "supported vand guided for travel at right angles to the cuttin said uckets transversel of the working zone of the saw, the'buc ets traveling sidewisely and being open-ended to accommodate various sizes of fish and carrying a series of transverse slots, means for predeterminedly translating said saw to enter one of said slots, means for continuously revolving said saw, and means for adjusting said saw whereby, upon the operation of said translating means, said saw will enter a particular one of said slots.

9. In a machine for cleaning fish, in combination, a neck-cutting saw, a series of receptacles or buckets for conveying the deposit therein of {ish and supportedy and guided for travel at right angles to the cutting plane of the saw, means for removing said buckets transversely of the `working zone of the saw, the buckets traveling sidewisely and being open-ended to accommodate various sizes of fish and carrying a series of transverseslots, means `f0r predeterminedly translating said saw to enter one of said slots, means for continuously revolving said saw, means for adjusting said saw whereby, upon the operation of said translating means, said saw will enter a particular one of said slots, movable sh-holding means adjacent said cutting plane, and means adapted to cause said holding means to hold the fish firmly while the saw is cutting through the neck. of the ish. 'j

10.l In a machine for cleaning fish, in combination, a neck-cutting saw, a series of receptacles 'or buckets for conveying the deposit therein of fish and supported and guided for travel at right angles to the cutting lane of the saw, means for removing said uckets transversely of the working zone of the saw, the buckets traveling sidewisely and being open-ended to accommodate various sizes` of fish and carrying a. series of transverse slots, means for predeterminedly translating said saw to enter one of said slots, ing said saw, means for'adjusting said saw whereby, upon the operation of said transla ing means, said saw will enter a articular one of said slots, movable isholding means adjacent ,said cutting plane but normally removed from said buckets,-and means adapted to cause said holding means to enter a bucket to hold a sh iirmly'while the saw is cutting throu h the neck of said fish. 11. In a machine or cleaning fish, means for holding the fish, means for slitting` the ishs neck,vmeans for grasping the '11, and 'om its connections in the head 12. In a fish dressin a. neck cutting and gi of the fish. machine comprising removmg means, 1n

lane of the saw, means for removing means for continuously revolvveying the fish under the bel combination with a belly slitting `and entrail removing means, and means for holding the fish duringeach operation.

13, In a fish dressin machine comprising a neck cutting and gil removing means, in combination with a belly slitting and entrail removing means for clamping the fish during the neck cutting and gill removing operations and means for gras ing and cony sitting and entrail removing means.

14. In a fish dressing machine comprising a neck cutting and gill removing means, in combination with a belly slittino` and entrail removing means, means for holding the fish during each operation and means for sustaining the fish in an upright position during the belly slitting and'entrail removing operations. v

15. In a fish dressing machine comprising a neck cutting and gill removing means, in.

combination with a belly slittin and entrail removing means, means for hol ing the fish durin each of said operations, and a trough inclu ing two inclined sides and movable angle pieces for sustainin the fish in an upright position during t e belly slitting and entrail removing operations.

16. In a sh dressing machine consisting of a neck cutting and gill removing means in combination with a body slitting and entrail removing means.

17. In a fish dressing machine consisting of a plurality of body slitting means, in combination with cleanin means associated with each of said body slitting means.

18. In a fish-cleaning machine, in combination, means for cuttin the neck of the fish, means for removing t e gill of the fish,

a plurality of buckets for receiving and conveying the fish, an endless chain on which said bucketsv are mounted, means for interadvancing said cham, and means mittentl for hol g eachbucket in predetermined adjacency to the neck-cutting means and to the gill-removin means.

19. In a fish-c eaning machine, in combination, means for cutting the neck of the fish, means for removing the gill of the fish, a plurality of buckets for recelving and conveying the fish, an endless chain on which said buckets are mounted, means for intermittently advancing said chain, means for holding each bucket in predetermined adjacency to the neck-cutting means and to the gill-removing means, and a conveyer mechanism traveling at an angle to said chain and adapted prcdeterminedly to engage withea fish body when a bucket carrying said fish body is halted as aforesaid. 20. In aiish-cleanin machine, in combination, a conveyer mec anism for a fish and passing in predetermined adjacency to a predetermined point whereat said fish is lo' cated said conveyin means including a plurality of pivoted pin-lingers in a normal separation, and means for controlling the separation of said pin-fingers whereby the latter are -forced abnormally together to pierce the ,body of and engage with the fish at said location and to' maintain said pinfingers in engagement with the fish thereafter, thereby to cause the travel of said fish simultaneously with a travel over a predetermined path of said conve er means.

In testimony whereof I a x my signature.

SIMON COOPER. 

